Tag: Marriage

Let’s Talk To Mercy

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. 2 Comments

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name of your choosing)

Participant 21: Call me Mercy

DBM: Hey, Mercy! Please tell me a little about yourself.

Mercy: I’m married, and a mother.

DBM: Okay! Any other thing about you?

Mercy: I am a career woman, and not afraid to push boundaries set before me. Dave, I have a question.

DBM: Please ask

Mercy: I am not good at writing and expressing myself with words. Will you be correcting my grammatical errors before publishing it on your website?

DBM: Yes please. I proofread and edit all the conversations, and would even rephrase sentences that aren’t clear to suit my house-style. You are in good hands.

Mercy: Thank you!

DBM: You’re welcome! What do you want to talk about?

Mercy: I’m just curious Dave, but what do men want?

DBM: I may never know myself

Mercy: The BS my husband is putting me through emotionally eh

DBM: Mercy, the art of bullshit is how most men get through with their day.

Mercy: I almost poisoned my husband’s food for the second time this year.

DBM: That is to the extreme.

Mercy: His actions are forcing me to hurt him.

DBM: How long have you been married?

Mercy: I don’t want to say

DBM: Why not?

Mercy: It might give me away, assuming he gets to see this online.

DBM: Do you love your husband?

Mercy: Yes, I love him.

DBM: Getting hurt by the people we love is inevitable.

Mercy: This is something I can’t forgive

DBM: Why would you want to hurt someone you love?

Mercy: Because he is hurting me too.

DBM: Marriage takes a lot of work. It’s hard; it’s a job and you’ve got to work at it every day.

Mercy: I do my part

DBM: What is he doing to hurt you?

Mercy: He is having an affair. Infidelity is the nail in the coffin for me.

DBM: You have proof of this?

Mercy: I wasn’t immediately suspicious. We were having dinner at home, and I realized he had become so alert as to which WhatsApp message to respond to. It was written all over his face though he was trying to play cool. But something kept nagging at the back of my brain to not let my suspicion go. I paid one driver I am cool with for a week to trail my husband. He had gone to meet the same lady three times that week.

DBM: I am sorry.

Mercy: I feel so angry and hurt.

DBM: Do you know how long the affair has lasted?

Mercy: It is still ongoing. I don’t know when it started.

DBM: Have you confronted him about it?

Mercy: He’s going to lie anyways, so what’s the point?

DBM: You mentioned ‘almost’ poisoning him. What made you stop?

Mercy: My kids always came to the kitchen to ask when their father would be home from work. That is what usually gets me emotional and stops me. Because they need their father. So, I would throw away the contaminated meal, and dish a new one.

DBM: Children need their father.

Mercy: I know! It’s like, he has pushed the responsibly of raising our children solely to me. He just pays fees and bills, and provides money. He gets mad very quickly when the children are trying to play around him. He screams at them, ignores them, but has time to be chatting with the other woman. He has time to make plans with another woman.

DBM: People can make poor choices at times, you know?

Mercy: That is no excuse, Dave. At his age, does he need a reminder to prioritize his family?

DBM: It’s your husband’s duty towards you and the family, to share all the responsibilities.

Mercy: He leaves me to deal with issues at home all by myself, while he keeps himself occupied with another woman’s touch. He is spending more time taking the other lady out, talking to her and sharing his goals and dreams. I am burdened at home, all because I am his wife and mother to the children.

DBM: Do you think he is happy being married to you?

Mercy: I do everything to meet his sexual needs. I don’t stress this man at home. Secondly, he chose me. He asked me to marry him. I did not force myself on him. There is this huge hole in my heart and in my life that I have to fill with a man’s touch, affection and attention. Either that, or I may be tempted again to mix something in his food.

DBM: If you are tempted to physically or emotionally hurt someone you love, simply because they hurt you, then it would be best to walk out of the marriage.

Mercy: If there is any walking out to be done, that should be in his obituary.

DBM: If you truly love him, he will need you to help him do right by you.

Mercy: Dave, he doesn’t need me. Trust me, he has his side-chick.

DBM: Most men are addicted to approval and validation from other women. He might be one of those.

Mercy: I don’t care. Right now, it’s two things, I either find myself someone on the side to be meeting my needs – as he’s enjoying, or close this chapter with my husband permanently.

DBM: ‘Till death do us part’?

Mercy: That was my vow to him.

DBM: What about forgiveness? Because the real need for forgiveness is in marriage

Mercy: No good comes of it

DBM: No good comes out of cleansing your heart and making peace with yourself?

Mercy: You do not understand, I will not forget what he’s done to me.

DBM: I am not making any excuses for his behavior. All I am asking is, is his foolishness worth the foolish decision you’re intending on making?

Mercy: He should have thought of all that.

DBM: You need to confront your husband.

Mercy: And say what?

DBM: That, you are thinking of ways to make him pay for what he is doing to you.

Mercy: Why would I want to do that?

DBM: Because just like him, you’re equally flawed, and your perceptions are too.

Mercy: Thank you for the conversation.

DBM: You’re welcome, Mercy. Every relationship that we’ve all been in, one way or the other, requires some level of forgiveness to sustain its relevance to us.

Image Credit: Anna Shvets

COLOUR OF LOVE

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. 3 Comments

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name you fancy)

Participant 10: Olive

DBM: Tell me anything about yourself

OLIVE: I am a quiet young lady who loves to bring out the best in people. I love with my all and abhor drama of all forms. I love and pursue peace in all my relationships.

DBM: How long have you been married?

OLIVE: It’s been 11years of matrimony.

DBM: What was your perfect ‘type’ of a man or woman? Did your husband or wife fit into your exact specifications?

OLIVE: Well, my ideal man is one that will love me for who I am, be content with me in my good, bad and the ugly. The perfect man for me didn’t have to be rich or poor but should have a vision and a clear plan for himself so I can correctly play my role as a help-mate suitable for him. Above all, I wanted my man to be someone who puts God first in everything, and was crazily kind to society’s less fortunate and vulnerable. My husband didn’t completely fit the specifications but I was willing to work with what I had.

DBM: So, how did you two meet?

OLIVE: We met at a mutual friend’s graduation ceremony and became friends. A few months later he proposed, and I accepted because I had heard a lot of great things about him, which led me into concluding that he fit about 60% of my criteria for an ideal man.

DBM: Do you consider your significant other as your best friend?

OLIVE: I actually hoped that we would grow to be the best of friends as the years came by since we really did not know each that intimately before marriage. Unfortunately, this desire of a friendship with my husband has not happened. I have tried several ways to help us build this but I have come to the conclusion that – that may not be what he desires of us, based on how he has received my efforts over the years.

DBM: When did you make him or her laugh the most? What happened?

OLIVE: I cannot really tell. It’s been so long since we made each other laugh. I can only remember a few years into the marriage when I was trimming his toenails in our backyard. A neighbor commented that he envied him because he has a good wife, and that made him laugh out loud.

DBM: At what point were you certain he or she was the one for you?

OLIVE: I have always had my doubts about him being the suitable person for me. Remember I accepted his proposal based on the testimony of mutual friends. When we kick-started the relationship, he said and did a lot stuff that made me doubt his authenticity as a Christian, and his love for me and all that. My spirit was always unsettled but I thought that I was being too judgmental about him because he was really a kind guy to society’s less fortunate and vulnerable. I went ahead with the marriage because I had given him and his parents my word. I also, hoped that whatever negative energy was all in my head, and that, with time I would come to know the real him that our friends testified to. Long story short, I still don’t know.

DBM: Do you still find your husband or wife physically attractive?

OLIVE: Only when he smiles or laughs. There is something about his eyes that melts my heart anytime he smiles.

DBM: In a deeper conversation with your spouse, do you listen just to completely understand or you listen simply to formulate your response?

OLIVE: I believe that 70% of the time I listen to understand what he is communicating, and will choose to either respond or not based on the understanding I gain. This approach has helped prevent a lot of unnecessary fights in the marriage because initially, I was listening to respond.

DBM: How is your significant other faring in the position as a husband or wife?

OLIVE: He is not doing very much in this position. Don’t get me wrong, he is a great guy to the children and his friends.

DBM: Which of your wedding vows means the world to you?

OLIVE: Every one word in the vow means the world to me. I believe these words: “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part” were given to use for a purpose. After eleven years in this journey, I really want to choose but judging from what we have been through, I think each of them is a valuable to me.

DBM: What is the most fun you both have had in the relationship?

OLIVE: Taking walks in the evenings or just sitting outside enjoying the beauty of nature and chit chatting. We have taken a lot of trips to enjoy but I have fun when we do simple stuff.

DBM: Is the love for your husband or wife growing any stronger by the day?

OLIVE: The love for my husband has been dinging in the last eight years. I have put a wall around my heart because I don’t want to hurt again. I feel like my husband took the love that I gave him, trampled on it under his feet, picked it up, and threw it at me and said to me: “in your face, Olive!”

DBM: Do you trust your husband or wife?

OLIVE: No!

DBM: How much time do you spend on your husband or wife?

OLIVE: Not much. I am mostly fulfilling my wifely duties – cooking, cleaning, feeding the children, etc. When we are together, he is always having a great time with the friends on his phone. When I make the move to be with him, he often tells me that he is busy working on a project he brough home from work, or doing something that is more important than spending time with me. The excuses are plenty so, I have learnt to be my own cheerleader and spend time with me.

DBM: Emotionally, do you feel connected than before?

OLIVE: Not at all!

DBM: Do you feel secure in the marriage?

OLIVE: I don’t feel secure at all. I honestly do not know why I am still married on most days.

DBM: Where do you see you and your spouse in the next 10 years?

OLIVE: In the next 10 years if I am being honest, I see myself taking care of our children as a single mom and my husband married to his longest surviving side chick. However, my spirit tells me that things will be better in the next 10 years and we will have a strong marriage, laughing over his “sexcapades”.

DBM: What is your ideal sex life?

OLIVE: My ideal sex life is as many acts as we desire, as long as there is nothing biological hindering the act. Drop hints well ahead of the action, not like 5 minutes before. Of course, there are times that demand a quickie which I understand but that should not be the status quo. We should try new positions and all things that are permissible and beneficial for strengthening the marriage bond. Most importantly, I want to be shown that I am desirable not only for sex but for all things that pertain to marriage. This gesture honestly helps me give my all.

DBM: Rate your current sex life (out of 10)

OLIVE: 0.5/10.

DBM: What is your understanding of love?

OLIVE: My understanding of love is informed by 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” I believe that love is a choice I make every day that I have breath to do what is outlined above.

DBM: Are you feeling loved in your marriage?

OLIVE: No! I feel like I am a “ceremonial wife” in my marriage.

DBM: Are you a good spouse?

OLIVE: I try my best to be a good spouse but my husband rarely compliments me on my efforts except, when his married friends draw his attention to my efforts when comparing me to their spouses.

DBM: Have you cheated on your husband or wife with another man or woman?

OLIVE: Yes, emotionally. Physically, I decided to experiment with cheating but could not carry it through because it was too much work to do. I was curious that for all the years that we have been married, my husband has been cheating with different shades of young ladies. I really wanted to know what was to be gained from that practice, but I could not carry it through. Dave, cheating is too much work and belittling!

DBM: Say something to your spouse from your heart:

OLIVE: Kwabena, after eleven years of journeying with you in marriage and all the blessings we have been blessed with, I am still baffled that you are not content with me and all we have. I am still with you because I believe you can change to be an excellent husband to me. Unfortunately, I am unsure how long I can keep this hope and faith alive. I want to love you wholly again like crazy, but I am afraid you will hurt me and take me for granted. Again, I don’t know what other sacrifice I must make to make this marriage work. Please help me help our marriage work. We can do it!

Image Credit: Anastasia Shuraeva

ADAMS’ APPLE

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. 3 Comments

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name you fancy)

Participant 7:  Adams is my name.

DBM: Tell me anything about yourself

ADAMS: I am 68 years old, and a father to four grown children. I am a grandfather, a husband and a friend. I am retired and enjoying the remaining years of my life with my wife.

DBM: How long have you been married?

ADAMS: 35 years.

DBM: What was your perfect ‘type’ of a man or woman? Did your husband or wife fit into your exact specifications?

ADAMS: My wife fits into my exact specifications. She actually is in a league of her own. I settled for a woman I would never otherwise would have gone for. Don’t get me wrong, my wife is very beautiful to me; she is beautiful to me because I give her the chance to become beautiful in my eyes. And in all the 35 years of loving her, I have given myself the opportunity to be equally good in her eyes, and most importantly, cherished for who I really am, by the one woman whose opinion I value the most.

DBM: So, how did you two meet?

ADAMS: She found me at a point in my life when I was thinking I wasn’t good enough for any woman; every lady I liked didn’t like me back. I felt useless. She was at the same bus stop where an ex-girlfriend of mine had broken up with me in public. I doubted my capabilities as a man, but this stranger, now wife, encouraged me with her presence and friendship to build me back up to move forward. It was humiliating to say the least, but she stood by me at the bus stop, and has been standing by me through all of my ups and downs.

DBM: Do you consider your significant other as your best friend?

ADAMS: Our friendship will never end, and that makes me the happiest man in the world. Yes!

DBM: When did you make him or her laugh the most? What happened?

ADAMS: That would be over 28 years ago. We both had a busy schedule and had to rely on one of her best friends to pick our children from school. We gave her our house keys to cater for the kids in our absence. I was the first to arrive home after 10 pm. We were expecting my wife to arrive at dawn. The kids were asleep when I got home. While taking my bath, I heard the bathroom door open. My wife’s friend was naked. Because I had soap lather in my eyes, I couldn’t see her approach me. It was after she held my penis and kissed me that I realized that wasn’t my wife. I sacked her from my house and told my wife the moment she got home. I don’t know whether she believed me or not but she laughed so hard, she encountered a stomach pain in the process. She did not confront her friend about my accusation. They’re still close friends. She’s still our family friend.

DBM: At what point were you certain he or she was the one for you?

ADAMS: The day I realized my wife wasn’t afraid of being alone, with or without me in her life. Yes, she’s in want of the man that I am, but she doesn’t really need me in any way to feel fulfilled.

DBM: Do you still find your husband or wife physically attractive?

ADAMS: My wife is as attractive and perfect as I make her to be. She’s ambitious and very reliable. Dave, authenticity is sexier to me in any body type or shape, any day.

DBM: In a deeper conversation with your spouse, do you listen just to completely understand or you listen simply to formulate your response?

ADAMS: I have never taken the importance of communication with my wife lightly. She discusses almost everything that is important to her with me, and I make sure to listen to whatever she has to say, and truly make the effort to comprehend exactly where she may be coming from. In a deeper conversation with my wife, I know when to talk or offer an opinion, and when not to.

DBM: How is your significant other faring in the position as a husband or wife?

ADAMS: She’s my ideal wife, and I will choose her over and over again, any day. In fact, I still chase after her till date. She respects herself, and respects me too.

DBM: Which of your wedding vows means the world to you?

ADAMS: In the name of The Almighty God, I take you, Sophia, to be my wife; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish – until we are parted by death.

DBM: What is the most fun you both have had in the relationship?

ADAMS: Raising our children together and enriching them to a higher level of thinking, feeling, loving and behaving, has been the most fun we have both had in our marriage.

DBM: Is the love for your husband or wife growing any stronger by the day?

ADAMS: It’s growing stronger every day. I understand my wife in a deeper level.

DBM: Do you trust your husband or wife?

ADAMS: Completely! She owns my heart, and I feel comfortable being vulnerable with her.

DBM: How much time do you spend on your husband or wife?

ADAMS: David, I love my wife so much to the extent that, I love being around her. For me, as long as I get to spend time with her, I don’t really care whatever we’d be doing together – if I’d be doing it with her, that would be more than enough for me. She’s the best company I have ever kept and had all my life.

DBM: Emotionally, do you feel connected than before?

ADAMS: Yes, I feel connected emotionally to my Sophie. She’s exactly where I need her to be emotionally with me. We support each other the best way possible.

DBM: Do you feel secure in the marriage?

ADAMS: Very! We are constantly paying attention to our inner and outer growths at every phase of our lives.

DBM: Where do you see you and your spouse in the next 10 years?

ADAMS: Till death do us part I believe.

DBM: What is your ideal sex life?

ADAMS: My ideal sex life is climaxing with my wife.

DBM: Rate your current sex life (out of 10)

ADAMS: 9/10. She pleases me, and we are content with what we share intimately.

DBM: What is your understanding of love?

ADAMS: My understanding of love is being on the same page on the importance of respecting each other, being true to our words, creating time to prioritize our feelings for one another, resolving conflict when it arises and forgiving each other; being strong for the other when weak, and helping one another to carry on.

DBM: Are you feeling loved in your marriage?

ADAMS: I love how my wife loves me. She’s my favorite lady.

DBM: Are you a good spouse?

ADAMS: I am a good husband, but I am married to a wonderful woman.

DBM: Have you cheated on your husband or wife with another man or woman?

ADAMS: Finding myself in the arms of another woman, to me, is an expression, not my reality. I don’t want to hurt Sophia, because I love her. I don’t want to tear my family apart and sacrifice my honor; that is why I have never cheated on my wife.

DBM: Say something to your spouse from your heart.

ADAMS: Sophia, I am one of the luckiest men alive. We promised each other for better and for worse, and so far, I am also honoring my part of the vows. You know how much I love you; you know how much I am in love with you. You know how much I appreciate you. I wasn’t searching for a perfect woman; I wasn’t looking for a flawless marriage. All I prayed for was for God to bless me with a decent marriage, genuine commitment and a lasting friendship between us. Thank you very much for going easy on me!

Image Credit: Andre Moura

CLOSELY APART – MAAME

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. 4 Comments

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name you fancy)

Participant 4: Maame is fine by me.

DBM: Tell me anything about yourself

MAAME: I am a very passionate person and I love with everything I am. I am very trustworthy, and so I hate lies; I say things just as it is.

DBM: How long have you been married?

MAAME: 11 years in June.

DBM: What was your perfect ‘type’ of a man or woman? Did your husband or wife fit into your exact specifications?

MAAME: I preferred a man who could love and care about me, and most importantly, become my friend. My husband did fit into the category because we were friends for a year and half before we became lovers.

DBM: So, how did you two meet?

MAAME: He came looking for a friend in my church and we met. l helped him find the friend.  The interesting thing is, he had the guts to tell me that very day that he would marry me, because l am a very helpful person and caring too.

DBM: Do you consider your significant other as your best friend?

MAAME: So l thought at first, but currently, no!

DBM: When did you make him or her laugh the most? What happened?

MAAME: This was when we started dating as lovers; we dated for five years before marriage. He asked me to cook for him the first time and l undercooked the rice; it was so hard, he laughed so much at me.

DBM: At what point were you certain he or she was the one for you?

MAAME: I fell sick seriously and his love and care for me to get well was something else.

DBM: Do you still find your husband or wife physically attractive?

MAAME: Yes, I find my husband to be extremely attractive.

DBM: In a deeper conversation with your spouse, do you listen just to completely understand or you listen simply to formulate your response?

MAAME: I was trying to always listen to him when he talked with me but he doesn’t listen to me; it’s like, all the things I say during a deeper conversation with him are senseless. Due to that l do not really listen to him lately.

DBM: How is your significant other faring in the position as a husband or wife?

MAAME: He is a husband to me in public, but to be honest, we are currently co-existing because of our children.

DBM: Which of your wedding vows means the world to you?

MAAME: To love and to hold, till death do us part.

DBM: What is the most fun you both have had in the relationship?

MAAME: When we used to drive around town together; how l miss those good old days, hmmmmm!

DBM: Is the love for your husband or wife growing any stronger by the day?

MAAME: No, l don’t love him anymore. l just feel sense of obligation towards him because of my kids.

DBM: Do you trust your husband or wife?

MAAME: I don’t trust him anymore.

DBM: How much time do you spend on your husband or wife?

MAAME: I am always there for him when he needs me.

DBM: Emotionally, do you feel connected than before?

MAAME: No emotional feelings for him anymore.

DBM: Do you feel secure in the marriage?

MAAME: I don’t feel secure with him in this marriage; I am guessing he is also sticking with me because of the kids and his old age.

DBM: Where do you see you and your spouse in the next 10 years?

MAAME: I want to be happy with my kids and I don’t see my husband to be a part of this happiness I anticipate for my future.

DBM: What is your ideal sex life?

MAAME: With me, sex starts outside the bedroom; how you relate and treat me; how to talk to me and look at me, how you smile at me, etc. I really need to feel connected to you before anything physical (intimately) can mean something to me.

DBM: Rate your current sex life (out of 10)

MAAME: 4 out of 10.

DBM: What is your understanding of love?

MAAME: Love is an everyday relationship; how you make the one you love be your first priority.

DBM: Are you feeling loved in your marriage?

MAAME: I don’t feel loved what-so-ever. My husband only remembers l exist when he wants sex; in fact, that is the only moment he will smile at me and pretend he cares. But when he is done, I am forgotten.

DBM: Are you a good spouse?

MAAME: I believe no one is perfect but I try my best to be in our marriage.

DBM: Have you cheated on your husband or wife with another man or woman?

MAAME: I have never, and will never cheat on my husband – so far as I am married to him.

DBM: Say something to your spouse from your heart.

MAAME: KG, l never thought we would be close but yet so far apart. I have come to realize that loving someone is never enough to marry that person. I pray you see that we are far apart and find it important to fight for our marriage to work.

Image Credit: Jill Burrow

SIKA’S TRUE FEELINGS

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. 16 Comments

David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name you fancy)

Participant 1: Call me Sika

DBM: Tell me anything about yourself

SIKA: I am strong in my vulnerability; very caring, compassionate and totally expressive of my feelings. I am not perfect but I try to always tell the truth. When I have, I give without expecting anything in return. I love to smile; I love to laugh; I love to love. I love God, I care about my husband and love my children. I believe I am hardworking. Mr. Dave, I am content with the woman I am becoming, but I am not content with just being content with me. I want more; to achieve way more in life than I already have.

DBM: How long have you been married?

SIKA: 12 years in August.

DBM: What was your perfect ‘type’ of a man or woman? Did your husband or wife fit into your exact specifications?

SIKA: The man I fell in love with was my perfect idea of a man. He did not give me any reason to want to doubt him then. He expressed interest in me and was on his best behavior anytime we were together. My perfect type of guy had to be consistent with me so I wouldn’t entertain any doubt whatsoever in my trust in him and the relationship. He gave me that when we were dating.

DBM: So, how did you two meet?

SIKA: I first noticed him in an examination Centre, pleading with one of the invigilators to allow him write. He was late and we were 15 minutes into the paper. He was almost falling apart; so nervous and nearly sobbing in front of everyone. I felt sorry for him. He managed to talk his way through the lecturer and was allowed to join us. Instead of hurrying to find his seat number, he was busily staring and winking at me. I lost focus. I scored a B in that subject. He had an A.

DBM: Do you consider your significant other as your best friend?

SIKA: I used to believe my husband was my best friend, because I thought I had seen him at his worst and still liked him. I thought those small quirks and habits I couldn’t figure out weren’t that endearing. Those times, I assumed there was absolutely nothing about him that I wanted changed. My happiness was found in just knowing that he was there for me, and was someone I could count on. He was willing to share almost everything with me; the happenings in his day, his food, conversations etc. He made me trust that he had wholeheartedly accepted me for who I am without any boundaries. And I believed him. He wasn’t chasing any other serious friendships. I was his good friend.

DBM: When did you make him or her laugh the most? What happened?

SIKA: It was his first time meeting my dad. He wanted to make a good first impression. I don’t know what he ate before coming to my parents’ house because he was farting nonstop. The first fart, I thought had come from my dad. He blew our noses off the roof with 8 nuclear bombs. I laughed at him so bad, he farted his best.

DBM: At what point were you certain he or she was the one for you?

SIKA: The night he drove to my house to take me to the hospital. It was 2:23 am when I called him; he made the effort to make me feel like I was worth saving; that our relationship was worth fighting for by saving my life.

DBM: Do you still find your husband or wife physically attractive?

SIKA: Yes, Dave. My husband is an attractive man.

DBM: In a deeper conversation with your spouse, do you listen just to completely understand or you listen simply to formulate your response?

SIKA: He does not listen to me, and so I see no need in listening to understand anything he has to say.

DBM: How is your significant other faring in the position as a husband or wife?

SIKA: Maybe if I were enough for him, he would care more about me. As his wife, I am not happy; he does not make me happy – even though I have been doing everything to make him happy.

DBM: Which of your wedding vows means the world to you?

SIKA: I promise to love and comfort you, honor and keep you.

DBM: What is the most fun you both have had in the relationship?

SIKA: We used to do everything together. Almost everything, travel, cook, watch movies, tease etc. They used to be fun times.

DBM: Is the love for your husband or wife growing any stronger by the day?

SIKA: Mine is not! I have grown tired of accepting the love he thinks I deserve. When I am around him, I don’t feel content; I don’t feel accepted. He makes me feel very anxious and misunderstood.

DBM: Do you trust your husband or wife?

SIKA: I currently have to compete with his mobile phone to get his attention at home. I do not trust a man who has all the time for others on his phone, but cannot make time for his wife. Initially, I thought I had fallen in love with my husband because I trusted him; I thought I loved him because of who he is, not how he made me feel. I do not trust him because of how he makes me feel now.

DBM: How much time do you spend on your husband or wife?

SIKA: I used to give my time to him. He does not cherish it so I channel the attention to our children. They need it most.

DBM: Emotionally, do you feel connected than before?

SIKA: No!

DBM: Do you feel secure in the marriage?

SIKA: No! I am not in a good marriage. I don’t feel secure enough to want to be vulnerable around him. I am not growing; I am not maturing. My husband’s attitude and behaviors towards me does not in any way warrant for emotional connection on both our parts. There is no mutual respect between us anymore.

DBM: Where do you see you and your spouse in the next 10 years?

SIKA: Probably in different relationships with different people.

DBM: What is your ideal sex life?

SIKA: When a man takes his time to allow us to experience physical and emotional pleasure together, with or without orgasm, Dave, I will be cool! When a man checks in during sex to know whether or not I am feeling good, and tells me what is making him also feel good, I will be pleased. I don’t ask for much!

DBM: Rate your current sex life (out of 10)

SIKA: 3 out of 10.

DBM: What is your understanding of love?

SIKA: Love is when someone adds value to make my life better. A better me makes for a better marriage. Love will not bring out the very worst in me. I am seeing the worst in my husband; maybe I just don’t love him that much after all.

DBM: Are you feeling loved in your marriage?

SIKA: I feel like our relationship is not his priority at the moment. If he loved me, I wouldn’t be feeling like other people in his life are more important than me. He is constantly putting other people ahead of me.

DBM: Are you a good spouse?

SIKA: I try to be.

DBM: Have you cheated on your husband or wife with another man or woman?

SIKA: Never! I promised him I would forsake all others and be his alone, as long as we remain married.

DBM: Say something to your spouse from your heart.

SIKA: IK, you have become my biggest hinderance in life. You slurp the very life out of me while I do so much to support you. You have put me down over and over with your words and attitude towards me. I had different goals and dreams I wanted to reach in life; you’ve made me feel like I can’t accomplish anything. You used to be a wonderful guy; you used to be kind to me. I really wanted to believe you were the right man for me, but after 12 years of being your wife, I know for sure that just loving you isn’t enough.

Today is another opportunity for me to choose me. I am choosing my own happiness. I want to love myself more. Your love does not choose me, and just because I am your wife doesn’t mean you should be happy with me. Be happy with what makes you happy. I will be fine.

Image Credit: Arturo Añez

SHE BREWS AT NIGHT

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog. 3 Comments

Dave, fear women. What did I say? FEAR WOMEN! My wife drinks coffee every evening before coming to bed. She takes hers in the kitchen. My first question is, who drinks coffee at 10:45 pm? How tasty aaaaa is coffee to be drank at 10:45 pm? Second question: is 10:45 the convenient time for any human being who wants to sleep at night to drink coffee? Which other energy boost is a woman in her mid 30’s chasing from caffeine at 10:45 pm?

Our kitchen always has this smell of burnt goat hairs whenever my wife is drinking her coffee at night. I will check what’s roasting in the kitchen, and there would be no goat on fire. Dave, would you believe me if I tell you my wife can describe 90% of my daily activities outside the house in her sleep? At first, I thought it was just a weird dream, but then, it kept happening. And I got scared. She could mumble or carry on conversations I had had with people in the day while she’s asleep at dawn; especially the conversations I had had with the other woman I am seeing. It’s wrong, I know! I am a married man having a secret relationship, so what? I am not the only man in Ghana cheating on his wife.

When my wife wakes up the next morning, she pretends as if she rarely remembers what she said in her sleep. The first time she tried that gibberish witchcraft, she told me she didn’t know what I was talking about. Dave, which sleeping woman forms coherent sentences and even answers questions I ask while sleeping? I thought my wife had me followed during the day (because she’s very capable of that) but no, she’s practicing a kind of witchcraft on me.

I was not awake one dawn when she got up to remove a piece of the pubic hairs around my penis with a scissors. She trimmed a bit of hers around her vagina and put them in a small bottle. I was pretending to be asleep because she couldn’t have dreamed my exact activities in certain days that she drank her coffee and burnt mine and her pubic hairs on the burner. The goat hair I often smelled in the kitchen weren’t goat hairs. She was burning our pubic hairs and inhaling the smell of it, while pretending to be drinking coffee.

Dave, trust no woman; these bitches ain’t trustworthy. They want to control our minds and bodies. They want to control our movements. What at all do women want from their husbands? My wife thinks because I can’t control my sexual urges, I need to be caged with this midnight torture. I have been terrorized in my own house by my wife over an affair. Why? Her argument is, why can’t I show a little self discipline like she does when it comes to sex. Dave, is this the right way for a married woman to treat her husband?

I am not a happy man, Dave. I have shaved all the pubic hairs around my penis but she still burns hairs and can tell me about the things I do or say in her absence. What do I do?

Image Credit: Karolina Grabowska

N FOR NOPE

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

Hi Dave, please I want to know what you think. Me and my husband trust in a spiritualist we consult on special occasions. He’s given us directives in the past which we followed to win business contracts. He’s our to go to man. A new contract opportunity came my husband’s way in May, and we sought his directives. We agreed on how important this opportunity meant to us if he won, and the change it was going to bring us at home.

Our spiritual father made us make a sacrifice and told my husband not to dip his penis in any other woman but mine, in order to win the contract. We were told he had to have an erection with just me in his mind. His penis was going to die around any other woman after the oath sets itself in motion. The sacrifice could be broken three days after we had taken the oath or it remained permanent after three days. Dave, me and hubby were excited and looking forward to it. I called our spiritual father months later to congratulate him on something totally different, and I took advantage of the call to ask about contract we sacrificed.

That was when he told me my husband went back to him the following morning to undo the oath. He did not give me any reason. All he said was that my husband told him he couldn’t go through with it. 13 years of marriage and I have never doubted my husband. He didn’t mention what he went back to do the following morning after our visit.

Image Credit: Ksenia Chernaya

MY FAVORITE PERSON

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

I have never believed in LOVE IN ITS ENTIRETY; maybe, apart from my dad’s love (which was short lived), I don’t trust any other, not even that of my mother. Her world of marriage was not something I looked forward to, neither have I ever thought I would get married someday. It seems like a ‘burden’ or a ‘risk’. I don’t take risks deliberately, if I can avoid, why go into it? My husband (I call him roommate), first knew he will marry me when he was about 19 years old in high school. He had not met me but saw my name on a school admission board for freshmen (apparently, he fell in love with my name). He was in his final year and had promised himself to marry the lady behind that name. He told his other cousin and a friend in school then. Lo and behold, I finally arrived in school only for him to discover, ‘I was out of his league’, as some of his mates were interested in me.

The first time I met him, it seemed like a déjà vu. I believed I had known him but nope, never do I recall meeting him anywhere, except that – he had the looks of my father. We didn’t communicate much as his exist on campus was near but he always spoke to me, writing little poems in a notebook and dropping it off in my class. (We were in the same department). We exchanged poems in that notebook but never sat together to have a chat till he left campus.

I returned home one vacation, visiting my cousin only to discover we were in the same neighborhood and lived close to my cousin’s house. Before visiting him for the first time at home, he had already told his family he had a girlfriend. (I had no idea I was his girlfriend) yet, that was how the family saw me. No one dared to ask. They passed funny jokes whenever I visited. (I left the area and returned years later). He still held on to me as ‘his girlfriend’ all that time. I was living my life.

Long story short, one night while escorting me home he said when I get a job, I will use my first few months’ salary to marry you. I laughed so hard because I knew he seemed too good a guy for me, (WE WERE NOT OFFICIALLY DATING. I still saw him as a ‘good friend’. I couldn’t see myself marrying him. He was too quiet for my liking. Truly to his words, he went to my sister one day and told her he wants to marry me; went ahead to my elder brother to inform him about his intentions to marry me. Note: no member of my family knew I was dating; neither was aware I had a serious boyfriend, except my big sister, who knows the men (general) in my life. The first time my family met him officially was the day of the ‘knocking’.

He had informed his family but I was the last person to know I was about to get married. When his father and Auntie called me to inform me, I was upset, and confronted him about it. He was confident I am the only woman he wants to be with. I gave them my own date to be married, as their notice was about a month ahead to the proposed date. I requested for a few more months. We got married within four months after his intention was made known. Our 14 years together has never seen any misunderstanding; he hates confrontation and he is a man of very few words. He is the worst person to pick a quarrel with because he won’t utter a word. A friend once told me you both are like oil and water. I am an extrovert and he is like a ‘TOTAL LOCKDOWN’; that’s if that can describe an extreme introvert. He lives in the shadows. He joins me on my night life, and I am like his ‘bad influence’. I taught him how to drink alcohol, socialize, club; how to express his anger, and also, talking to women without fear of offending them. Not all women are rude when approached. It depends on how you come at them.

Ask me about an Angel and I will point to him; he says he wanted a wife but got a social media manager too, (you send him WhatsApp messages and he takes months to reply. I have to check his messages for him. I don’t know about happily ever, but I am a happily spoiled wife. Marriage to him is like having a roommate who does all the work, while you take compliments. I live a simple life with him. I married him with a leap of faith in him. He is a man that met all my checklist: tribe, same taste in music, loves domestic chores; he is faithful, loves movies; he has a lovely skin color; very empathetic, and started life with me from the ground up. We had the exact country themed wedding I dreamed of. We are building a future together, but whatever happens in the future I am proud and glad I met a man who defines marriage as a commandment of commitment. He once said to me you are the woman I am having my every first with.

Least I forget, our poetic note book was our marriage wows. We’ve been married for 10 years now. Our wedding song was “When God Made You”. He is a man with no flaws, dignity, and the humblest to ever walk this earth. Whenever there is chaos, he is that ‘silver lining’. Mr. EC, may God bless you a million times. If you miss heaven, I will blame God; if I depart this earth some day before you, I want you to move on with your life, and enjoy it to the fullest. I promise to learn how to drive so you can stay home and enjoy your lockdown in peace. Allow me to also do the domestic chores; my mum says you make me lazy. Judith says you are a diplomatic person so I should allow you to do your things while I do my controversial things. Gizz said if you become a pastor someday, we will be poor because you can’t take offertory, and would probably give out all our savings.

Image Credit: Andres Ayrton

THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

The driver’s name is Eddie. His car’s number is GS 7443-21. He was the ride I ordered to the airport. I was very late, and so I wasn’t really present in the vehicle with him. I knew he was trying to build on a conversation with me, but I was behind time and wasn’t interested. Mr. Dave, I am in my second marriage, he said. Suddenly, I was interested; there was a story to be told. I am sharing his story because I sought for his consent. Secondly, there are lessons to be learned from his experience. He is in his mid-40’s, and was married to his first wife for 10 years. They could not have children.

According to Eddie, children are a gift from GOD. I wasn’t bothered that we couldn’t have any in my first marriage. I had trust in GOD, and was hoping my ex-wife could trust in Him, my commitment to her and our marriage. He says it really hurt him that the woman he loved with all of his heart, a woman he never for once even considered cheating on or disrespecting, chose to end their marriage. He is of the view that, our society has influenced some women to place a high value on childbearing in marriages – to the extent that, it is so ingrained in their reasoning, they often forget there is a spouse, a man, to be loved also. He says he married his ex-wife because he loved her; children were not his major reason for marriage. He loved his commitment to her; he loved the idea of spending the rest of his life on earth with her in it. He was with her because he wanted to be with her. Unfortunately, his ex-wife had a different expectation for their marriage.

Eddie says, some people will end up being childless because they worry too much to rather focus on the now, the very people loving on them in the present. He believes that societal pressure to become a mother ate into the mind of his ex, that she allowed it to almost measure her worthiness as a woman. The marriage became very unhealthy for the woman because she wanted something different: a real man who could get her pregnant. And so, after 10 years of marriage, she asked her family to return his drinks to his family. The families both asked if had done her any wrong, and she said no. Eddie says, in the presence of both families, he went on his knees, begging her to reconsider. He refused to accept her decision, but she wasn’t interested in the marriage. He kept insisting for a real reason why she wanted out. She finally informed him and their families that, she was no longer in love with him.

Mr. Dave, that was what made me stop pleading with her. I had to understand and respect the fact that, she did not love me anymore. When a woman tells you that she doesn’t love you, let her go. Don’t force your feelings on her. said Eddie. Somehow, he found the confidence to agree to the divorce. His ex-wife also got the confidence to leave, because she had made it clear that she felt trapped. Eddie says, the dissolution of the marriage made all his anxieties about not having the chance of a family even worse. He lost weight, lost his appetite for food; he had a few thousands of cedis saved, and did not know how all that money finished within days. He contemplated on suicide many times. His heart had been broken into pieces.

There was no getting around the divorce because it shook him to his very foundations, causing him to question his confidence level, and even his faith in GOD, women and love. The experience was horrible, terrible for him. All this happened to him in 2019. In 2020, he had learned how to grapple with the pain of rejection and was almost done mourning a lost love, when he met his current wife. He knew he liked this new woman. She makes me want to smile for no reason. I think that was part of the reasons why I found her to be interesting. She was nothing like my ex-wife. he said.

His now Mrs. intentionally became a daily feature in his life just so he could have a dose of real laughter. He allowed the laughter to shape his new found interest into a beautiful friendship, and then, love. Her friendship helped him to return to the things he used to love doing. He then gradually started to lose himself in this good woman who made him smile every day. They got married, and have a one-and-a-half-year-old child. He says, his wife is currently pregnant.

Every relationship (be it good or bad) has something for us to learn. Eddie accepted that his first marriage had ended. He took baby steps and moved on with his life. He is now picturing how to better give and receive with his new wife. I asked him if he knew about his ex-wife’s whereabouts; he says she calls him once or twice every week to check on him. She’s single and has no kids yet. He says she sometimes asks if he misses her too. When I alighted, I was curious in knowing, whether or not he misses the ex.

Mr. Dave, right now as we speak, I miss my wife and child. I can’t wait to close for the day and rush home to help with the house. said Eddie.

Image Credit: David Bondze-Mbir

I DO… I DID… I’M DONE

Written by David B on . Posted in Blog.

You are doing a wonderful job on social media. Your platform is one of the neatest and diverse with different shades of people’s experiences. My wife introduced me to your page in 2019 and I have been reading every now and then. I want to share my journey with my wife for you to publish. I was going to print something at the internet café. The computer I was using had unclosed tabs. The guy who had used it before me forgot to sign off his Yahoo account. Dave, I was closing all tabs to start using it when I chanced on a website whoever was using had opened.

It was a video chat room. I signed up. I chose to chat with ladies from Ghana. The first connection I had my first chat was with my wife. I was striving to be memorable by leaving a lasting impression on her during our chat. She told me her phone had been stolen so she gave the phone number of her sister. She was living with her sister. I gave my number to her. Everything was going fine until ECG took their light. I didn’t go home that day. I waited for four hours till the lights were on. I sat next to the same computer to start over again. I went to the website and she had left me three messages. I replied and she came online. We continued for another hour and half before asking me to call her sister to buy her kenkey when coming home. Lol.

Fast forward, we became friends and dated and married. We have two children.

I cheated on my wife and I don’t know how she found out. I came from work one evening and she was not home. She left two pictures on our bed; the picture of me kissing and fondling the woman I was cheating on her with at the beach. That picture must have been taken months back because the time I saw it on our bed, it had passed seven months. My wife didn’t return to the house that evening. Our children weren’t in the house. Her phone was off. I called my mother-in-law and she told me her daughter had dropped off my children at her house. I went for them. The following day she didn’t come home. Mother-in-law said she didn’t know where her daughter had gone. I didn’t believe her but that was her story. My mother called me to tell me about the two pictures someone had brought to her. Same pictures as the ones I found in bed.

Dave, for two years, I did not hear from my wife. Nobody knew where she was. Some people knew but I think she told them not to inform me. For two years, my wife did not post on social media. The day she made her first post on Facebook after two years of silence, she was sharing her graduation pictures from Princeton University; her second Master’s degree. My wife left our children with me for two years to go to American without informing me. When she came back home, I didn’t argue with her. I was expecting an explanation and apology; she hasn’t apologized. Her explanation is always, I went to clear my head so I got another degree. She will pull her certificate and school ID to make her point.

Dave, in all truism, do you think my wife went to America to only study? Which woman leaves her children for two years? Even though our parents were helping with the children in her absence, don’t you think she owes me an explanation? It’s been six years since she did this and she’s not said anything different. And it’s been bothering me; because I know the woman I married, she is vengeful. She cheated on me too. I just want to know so I can call it a draw.

Image Credit: Stanley Morales

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